Train problems continue

I managed to get to work this morning before the train problems started on the Hutt Valley line. Others weren’t so lucky. A “power failure” caused some trains to be cancelled, and others to be delayed by up to 45 minutes.

While the occasional train delay is to be expected, especially with the aging train fleet and upgrades on the lines, it has now become the norm. There have been outages most weeks since the beginning of the year, and at the moment the days with delays outnumber the days when all train services run smoothly. The occasional 10 minute delay would be OK, no worse than what you would expect if you were driving, but to regularly have delays where you have no idea when or if you will actually get to work, or get home, just isn’t good enough.

In their rush to get the stations ready for the new trains, Kiwirail are loosing passengers. For awhile, it was common to have to stand on the morning train from Waterloo, but now when the trains are running to time there are plenty of spare seats. The new trains were ordered to reduce congestion, but by the time they arrive they may have no passengers to carry as train commuters are returning to their cars in droves.

When the trains are running well, Wellington has a fantastic train service. It is quick, convenient and good value. The contractors working on the lines need to be taking more care, and need to be accountable when there are problems.